ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8392-211X
Current Organisations
The Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Tariff System
,
Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College
,
Jagiellonian University Medical College
,
Macquarie University Faculty of Science and Engineering
,
Macquarie University
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Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 10-09-2020
DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.8.E55275
Abstract: We introduce a new dataset of woody plants on 60 small tropical islands located in the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia. The dataset includes incidence, abundance and functional trait data for 57 species. All islands were s led using a standardised transect and plot design providing detailed information on plant occurrences at different spatial scales ranging from the local (plot and transect scale) to the island scale. In addition, the dataset includes information on key plant functional traits linked to species dispersal, resource acquisition and competitive strategies. The dataset can be used to address ecological questions connected to the species-area relationship and community assembly processes on small islands and in isolated habitats. The dataset yields detailed information on plant community structure and links incidence, abundance and functional trait data at different spatial scales. Furthermore, this is the first plant-island dataset for the Raja Ampat archipelago, a remote and poorly studied region, and provides important new information on species occurrences.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8792
Abstract: Most insects engage in winged flight. Wing loading, that is, the ratio of body mass to total wing area, has been demonstrated to reflect flight maneuverability. High maneuverability is an important survival trait, allowing insects to escape natural enemies and to compete for mates. In some ecological field experiments, there is a need to calculate the wing area of insects without killing them. However, fast, nondestructive estimation of wing area for insects is not available based on past work. The Montgomery equation (ME), which assumes a proportional relationship between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width, is frequently used to calculate leaf area of plants, in crops with entire linear, lanceolate leaves. Recently, the ME was proved to apply to leaves with more complex shapes from plants that do not have any needle leaves. Given that the wings of insects are similar in shape to broad leaves, we tested the validity of the ME approach in calculating the wing area of insects using three species of cicadas common in eastern China. We compared the actual area of the cicadas’ wings with the estimates provided by six potential models used for wing area calculation, and we found that the ME performed best, based on the trade‐off between model structure and goodness of fit. At the species level, the estimates for the proportionality coefficients of ME for three cicada species were 0.686, 0.693, and 0.715, respectively. There was a significant difference in the proportionality coefficients between any two species. Our method provides a simple and powerful approach for the nondestructive estimation of insect wing area, which is also valuable in quantifying wing morphological features of insects. The present study provides a nondestructive approach to estimating the wing area of insects, allowing them to be used in mark and recapture experiments.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 09-04-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.04.08.487610
Abstract: Despite the paramount role of plant ersity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is incomplete, h ering basic research and bio ersity conservation. Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, neural networks) and conventional statistical methods (generalised linear models, generalised additive models) to model species richness and phylogenetic richness of vascular plants worldwide based on 830 regional plant inventories including c. 300,000 species and predictors of past and present environmental conditions. Machine learning showed an outstanding performance, explaining up to 80.9% of species richness and 83.3% of phylogenetic richness. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity emerged as the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions left only small but detectable imprints on plant ersity. Finally, we combined predictions from multiple modelling techniques (ensemble predictions) to reveal global patterns and centres of plant ersity at multiple resolutions down to 7,774 km 2 . Our predictive maps provide the most accurate estimates of global plant ersity available to date at grain sizes relevant for conservation and macroecology.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14138
Abstract: Species ersity on islands generally increases with island area. This might arise either from direct effects of island area via neutral assembly processes or from indirect effects via habitat and structural differences between islands that scale positively with island area. Here, we tested whether community‐weighted functional trait means of woody plants are directly or indirectly affected by island area to elucidate how functional traits mediate the assembly on differently sized islands. Twenty‐eight tropical islands (25 m 2 – 12,000 m 2 ) in the Raja Ampat archipelago, Indonesia. Woody angiosperms. Studied islands had a shared geological history but differed in terms of area, habitat quality expressed by soil depth, forest structure expressed by tree basal area and degree of isolation. Traits studied were seed and fruit mass, tree height, wood density, leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll content (estimated from chlorophyll‐meter units) and summarised as community‐weighted means (CWM) for each island. Using liner regression, we tested whether CWMs were correlated to island area and basal area and structural equation models (SEMs) to test on direct and indirect effects of island area, basal area, soil depth and isolation on trait distributions. CWM of seed mass, tree height and chlorophyll content increased with both island area and basal area, whereas leaf nitrogen concentration decreased with increasing basal area. Fruit mass was not correlated to island area and basal area. SEMs revealed that the shifts in tree height, wood density, leaf nitrogen concentration and chlorophyll content were caused directly by basal area, which in turn was directly and positively affected by both island area and soil depth. Differences in seed mass among islands were explained by combined effects of basal area, island area and isolation, whereas fruit mass was only explained by isolation. Trait values shifted systematically across islands of different sizes. Being small and having light seeds are prevailing trait combinations for establishing on small islands with simple forest structure. For establishment on larger islands with more complex forest structures, species are taller, have heavier seeds, higher chlorophyll content and lower leaf N concentrations. We conclude that mechanisms affecting CWM on islands directly link to ecological differences between islands like forest structure – and only indirectly to island area.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-07-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14697
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 17-07-2023
Abstract: Assessing the distribution of geographically restricted and evolutionarily unique species and their underlying drivers is key to understanding biogeographical processes and critical for global conservation prioritization. Here, we quantified the geographic distribution and drivers of phylogenetic endemism for ~320,000 seed plants worldwide and identified centers and drivers of evolutionarily young (neoendemism) and evolutionarily old endemism (paleoendemism). Tropical and subtropical islands as well as tropical mountain regions displayed the world’s highest phylogenetic endemism. Most tropical rainforest regions emerged as centers of paleoendemism, while most Mediterranean-climate regions showed high neoendemism. Centers where high neo- and paleoendemism coincide emerged on some oceanic and continental fragment islands, in Mediterranean-climate regions and parts of the Irano-Turanian floristic region. Global variation in phylogenetic endemism was well explained by a combination of past and present environmental factors (79.8 to 87.7% of variance explained) and most strongly related to environmental heterogeneity. Also, warm and wet climates, geographic isolation, and long-term climatic stability emerged as key drivers of phylogenetic endemism. Neo- and paleoendemism were jointly explained by climatic and geological history. Long-term climatic stability promoted the persistence of paleoendemics, while the isolation of oceanic islands and their unique geological histories promoted neoendemism. Mountainous regions promoted both neo- and paleoendemism, reflecting both ersification and persistence over time. Our study provides insights into the evolutionary underpinnings of biogeographical patterns in seed plants and identifies the areas on Earth with the highest evolutionary and biogeographical uniqueness—key information for setting global conservation priorities.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-09-2022
DOI: 10.3390/HEALTHCARE10091731
Abstract: While altruism has been studied in healthcare professions such as nursing and medicine, the exploration of the characteristics of altruism, as related to paramedicine and emergency care in Australia, is limited. This scoping review explores altruism in paramedicine from the perspective of the paramedic as practitioner, learner, and educator as seen through the lens of the paramedic and the patient. Also discussed is the positive impact of altruism on the patient experience of care. A scoping review was used to assess the availability of data related to altruism in paramedicine. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews was used to guide the process. Search categories were orientated around the subject (altruism) and discipline (paramedicine). A total of 27 articles are included in this scoping review. Initial searching identified 742 articles after duplicate removal, 396 articles were screened with 346 excluded. Fifty articles were full-text reviewed and 23 excluded. The final 27 were extracted following full-text screening. None of the articles are specific to altruism in paramedicine. The data related to the practice of altruism in paramedicine are extremely limited. The preponderance of data arise from Europe and North America which, due to crewing and service differences, may impact the practice of altruism in different regions. Recent changes to the scope of paramedic practice, workload, education, and case acuity may influence behaviour regarding altruism, compassion, caring, and associated caring behaviours. The practice and education of paramedics including altruism, compassion, caring and caring behaviours in the Australasian setting warrants further research.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12782
Abstract: Island biogeography is the study of the spatio‐temporal distribution of species, communities, assemblages or ecosystems on islands and other isolated habitats. Island ersity is structured by five classes of process: dispersal, establishment, biotic interactions, extinction and evolution. Classical approaches in island biogeography focused on species richness as the deterministic outcome of these processes. This has proved fruitful, but species traits can potentially offer new biological insights into the processes by which island life assembles and why some species perform better at colonising and persisting on islands. Functional traits refer to morphological and phenological characteristics of an organism or species that can be linked to its ecological strategy and that scale up from in idual plants to properties of communities and ecosystems. A baseline hypothesis is for traits and ecological strategies of island species to show similar patterns as a matched mainland environment. However, strong dispersal, environmental and biotic‐interaction filters as well as stochasticity associated with insularity modify this baseline. Clades that do colonise often embark on distinct ecological and evolutionary pathways, some because of distinctive evolutionary forces on islands, and some because of the opportunities offered by freedom from competitors or herbivores or the absence of mutualists. Functional traits are expected to be shaped by these processes. Here, we review and discuss the potential for integrating functional traits into island biogeography. While we focus on plants, the general considerations and concepts may be extended to other groups of organisms. We evaluate how functional traits on islands relate to core principles of species dispersal, establishment, extinction, reproduction, biotic interactions, evolution and conservation. We formulate existing knowledge as 33 working hypotheses. Some of these are grounded on firm empirical evidence, others provide opportunities for future research. We organise our hypotheses under five overarching sections. Section A focuses on plant functional traits enabling species dispersal to islands. Section B discusses how traits help to predict species establishment, successional trajectories and natural extinctions on islands. Section C reviews how traits indicate species biotic interactions and reproduction strategies and which traits promote intra‐island dispersal. Section D discusses how evolution on islands leads to predictable changes in trait values and which traits are most susceptible to change. Section E debates how functional ecology can be used to study multiple drivers of global change on islands and to formulate effective conservation measures. Islands have a justified reputation as research models. They illuminate the forces operating within mainland communities by showing what happens when those forces are released or changed. We believe that the lens of functional ecology can shed more light on these forces than research approaches that do not consider functional differences among species.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 18-03-2019
Publisher: Fakultas Kehutanan, Universitas Hasanuddin (Forestry Faculty, Hassannuddin Univ)
Date: 17-08-2020
Abstract: Species checklists are a fundamental component of bio ersity research. They foster understanding of species distributions and habitat preferences, thus reducing gaps of knowledge in geographical occurrences of species. Especially in light of the limited availability of data on species distributions for Tanah Papua, an increasing scientific focus on the region is crucial to foster and refine the knowledge of species occurrences and to inform potential conservation planning. Despite a strong focus on conservation of Raja Ampat´s marine areas, surprisingly few studies have focused on the terrestrial bio ersity of the archipelago. As a consequence, detailed species checklists are largely missing. Here, we provide a preliminary bird species checklist for the island of Gam and its surrounding islands, located in the central Raja Ampat archipelago. During nine s ling periods between 2013 and 2019, we recorded 132 bird species in six distinct habitat types. Of the detected species, six are considered threatened by IUCN Red List criteria. We further recorded three new species for Gam Island, thereby expanding their known extent of occurrence.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-03-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1002/14651858
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-11-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S00468-020-02058-8
Abstract: Using more than 10,000 bamboo leaves, we found that the scaling between leaf surface area and length follows a uniform power law relationship mainly relying on the degree of variation in leaf shape (reflected by the ratio of leaf width to length). A recent study based on leaf data of different plant taxa showed that the scaling of leaf surface area ( A ) with linear leaf dimensions was best described by the Montgomery equation (ME) that describes A as the product of leaf length ( L ) and width ( W ). Following from ME, a proportional relationship between A and the square of L has been proposed, but the validity of this simplified equation strongly depends on leaf shape ( W/L ratio). Here, we show that the simplified equation can be applied to a group of closely related plants sharing a similar W/L ratio with low degree of uncertainty. We measured A , L and W of more than 10,000 leaves from 101 graminoid taxa (subfamily Bambusoideae) having similar elongated leaf shapes. We found that ME applies to the leaves of all bamboo taxa investigated. The power law equation that was used to describe a scaling relationship of A vs. L also predicted leaf area with high accuracy, but the variability measured as the root-mean-square error (RMSE) was greater than that using ME, indicating that leaf width also plays an important role in predicting leaf area. However, the dependence of the prediction accuracy of A on W is intimately associated with the extent of the variation in W/L ratio. There was a strong positive correlation ( r = 0.95 for the 101 bamboo taxa) between RMSE and the coefficient of variation in W/L ratio. Thereby, our results show that leaf area of bamboo plants can be calculated by the product of L and W with a proportionality coefficient ranging from 0.625 to 0.762, i.e., the leaf area of bamboo leaves approximately equals 70% of a rectangular area formed by L and W . The pooled data of ln( A ) vs. ln( WL ) of 101 bamboo taxa were located on or very close to the regression line without being affected by interspecific differences. However, interspecific differences in W/L ratio largely affected the scaling relationship of A vs. L , which led to large deviations of the data of ln( A ) vs. ln( L ) from the regression line. This implies that the square relationship between A and L does not apply to all species even if those are very closely related taxa.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2020
DOI: 10.1002/AJB2.1560
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.18533
Abstract: Despite the paramount role of plant ersity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is still incomplete, h ering basic research and bio ersity conservation. Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, and neural networks) and conventional statistical methods (generalized linear models and generalized additive models) to test environment‐related hypotheses of broad‐scale vascular plant ersity gradients and to model and predict species richness and phylogenetic richness worldwide. To this end, we used 830 regional plant inventories including c . 300 000 species and predictors of past and present environmental conditions. Machine learning showed a superior performance, explaining up to 80.9% of species richness and 83.3% of phylogenetic richness, illustrating the great potential of such techniques for disentangling complex and interacting associations between the environment and plant ersity. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity emerged as the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions left only small but detectable imprints on plant ersity. Finally, we combined predictions from multiple modeling techniques (ensemble predictions) to reveal global patterns and centers of plant ersity at multiple resolutions down to 7774 km 2 . Our predictive maps provide accurate estimates of global plant ersity available at grain sizes relevant for conservation and macroecology.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2020
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13056
Abstract: We tested whether species–area relationships of small islands differ among plant growth forms and whether this influences the prevalence of the small‐island effect (SIE). The SIE states that species richness on small islands is independent of island area or relates to area in a different way compared with larger islands. We investigated whether island isolation affects the limits of the SIE and which environmental factors drive species richness on small islands. Seven hundred islands ( 100 km 2 ) worldwide belonging to 17 archipelagos. Angiosperms. We applied linear and breakpoint species–area models for angiosperm species richness and for herb, shrub and tree species richness per archipelago separately, to test for the existence of SIEs. For archipelagos featuring the SIE, we calculated the island area at which the breakpoints occurred (breakpoint area) and used linear models to test whether the breakpoint areas varied with isolation. We used linear mixed‐effect models to discern the effects of seven environmental variables related to island area, isolation and other environmental factors on the species richness of each growth form for islands smaller than the breakpoint area. For 71% of all archipelagos, we found an SIE for total and herb species richness, and for 59% for shrub species richness and 53% for tree species richness. Shrub and tree species richness showed larger breakpoint areas than total and herb species richness. The breakpoint area was significantly positively affected by the isolation of islands within an archipelago for total and shrub species richness. Species richness on islands within the range of the SIE was differentially affected by environmental factors across growth forms. The SIE is a widespread phenomenon that is more complex than generally described. Different functional groups have different environmental requirements that shape their biogeographical patterns and affect species–area and, more generally, richness–environment relationships. The complexity of these patterns cannot be revealed when measuring overall plant species richness.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-08-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14703
Abstract: Dispersal and environmental filtering processes affect plant species colonisation success on islands and can be identified by functional traits. However, the lack of synthesis about the different methodological approaches in functional ecology h ers generalisation of filtering processes across island systems. Seventy islands of the Houtman Abrolhos archipelago, Western Australia. Angiosperms. We (i) apply a simple, conceptual framework based on the mean and variability of in idual functional traits in plant assemblages to identify species filters on islands, (ii) illustrate how trait distributions of island assemblages change in relation to island area and their source pool, (iii) compare distributions of in idual traits to multivariate functional ersity indices and trait spaces and (iv) provide guidelines to detect a signal of trait filtering in island floras. The island assemblages showed evidence for selective filters operating on seed mass and marginally on leaf area but not on plant height. Mean and variability of seed mass differed to those of the source pool indicating selective forces operating between source pool and island assemblages, especially on smaller islands. Multivariate functional ersity indices and trait spaces failed to reveal filtering processes acting on the island assemblages and insights into the putative processes. Using the mean and variability of in idual traits in plant assemblages provides direct information on the trait composition of island floras and the processes involved beyond what can be inferred from multivariate functional ersity indices or trait spaces. We used islands as their distinct boundaries and relatively simple sets of species provide good research models, but joint analyses of trait means and variability should also be applicable to understand filtering processes in isolates and habitat fragments on mainlands.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/JVS.12758
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.18193
Abstract: Startup plants include seedlings and basal and epicormic resprouts. It has long been held that startups have different strategies from adult plants, but theory for what trait differences to expect is limited and not yet quantitatively tested. Three applicable concepts are analogous to human startup firms, R‐shift, and trait‐growth theory. All three suggest startups should be built with lower construction costs than established plants. This appears to be almost always true in terms of leaf mass per area (LMA), though many comparisons are complicated by the startups growing in lower light. Trait‐growth theory predicts LMA should increase progressively with height or total leaf area, driven by higher conductive‐pathway costs associated with each unit leaf area, and by greater reward from slowing leaf turnover. Basal resprouts often have somewhat higher LMA than seedlings, but possibly this is simply because they are larger. A number of eminently testable questions are identified. Prospects are good for a theoretically cogent and field‐tested body of knowledge about plant startups.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-07-2022
DOI: 10.1111/NYAS.14862
Abstract: Many natural objects exhibit radial or axial symmetry in a single plane. However, a universal tool for simulating and fitting the shapes of such objects is lacking. Herein, we present an R package called ‘biogeom’ that simulates and fits many shapes found in nature. The package incorporates novel universal parametric equations that generate the profiles of bird eggs, flowers, linear and lanceolate leaves, seeds, starfish, and tree‐rings, and three growth‐rate equations that generate the profiles of ovate leaves and the ontogenetic growth curves of animals and plants. ‘biogeom’ includes several empirical datasets comprising the boundary coordinates of bird eggs, fruits, lanceolate and ovate leaves, tree rings, seeds, and sea stars. The package can also be applied to other kinds of natural shapes similar to those in the datasets. In addition, the package includes sigmoid curves derived from the three growth‐rate equations, which can be used to model animal and plant growth trajectories and predict the times associated with maximum growth rate. ‘biogeom’ can quantify the intra‐ or interspecific similarity of natural outlines, and it provides quantitative information of shape and ontogenetic modification of shape with important ecological and evolutionary implications for the growth and form of the living world.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-11-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13650
Abstract: Oceanic islands are renowned for their unique flora and high levels of endemism. Native island plants, however, are imperilled by non‐native species that can become invasive by outcompeting natives. The threat of native island assemblages generally increases with isolation and the number of endemics featured, but also with human‐associated disturbance and land use. Based on this, the Canary Island native plant systems should be highly threatened by invasives, similar to other oceanic islands globally. However, Canarian native plant systems are only weakly infiltrated and are rarely directly threatened by invasive plants. Further, highly disturbed areas, usually among the first colonized by invasives on islands, are recolonized here by natives. Based on this, we postulate four hypotheses (climatic filter, well‐preservation status, human legacy and permanent colonization) for explaining this unusual behaviour of plant systems on the Canary Islands, providing an opportunity to understand the drivers and processes behind invasion into plant communities on islands.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-08-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SYM13081524
Abstract: Many plant species produce ovate leaves, but there is no general parametric model for describing this shape. Here, we used two empirical nonlinear equations, the beta and Lobry–Rosso–Flandrois (LRF) equations, and their modified forms (referred to as the Mbeta and MLRF equations for convenience), to generate bilaterally symmetrical curves along the x-axis to form ovate leaf shapes. In order to evaluate which of these four equations best describes the ovate leaf shape, we used 14 leaves from 7 Neocinnamomum species (Lauraceae) and 72 leaves from Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthaceae). Using the AIC and adjusted root mean square error to compare the fitted results, the modified equations fitted the leaf shapes better than the unmodified equations. However, the MLRF equation provided the best overall fit. As the parameters of the MLRF equation represent leaf length, maximum leaf width, and the distance from leaf apex to the point associated with the maximum leaf width along the leaf length axis, these findings are potentially valuable for studying the influence of environmental factors on leaf shape, differences in leaf shape among closely related plant species with ovate leaf shapes, and the extent to which leaves are bilaterally symmetrical. This is the first work in which temperature-dependent developmental equations to describe the ovate leaf shape have been employed, as previous studies lacked similar leaf shape models. In addition, prior work seldom attempted to describe real ovate leaf shapes. Our work bridges the gap between theoretical leaf shape models and empirical leaf shape indices that cannot predict leaf shape profiles.
Publisher: Schweizerbart
Date: 2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-12-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14904
Abstract: Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to bio ersity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on in idual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-05-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.04512
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-03-2021
Abstract: Rice production is often associated with high pesticide input. To improve farmers’ practice, sustainable management approaches are urgently needed, such as ecological engineering (EE), which aims at enhancing beneficial arthropods while reducing pesticides. Here, we implemented and tested EE in Cambodian rice fields by comparing: (i) fields not treated with pesticides (control) (ii) fields not treated with pesticides but with non-rice crops planted in the surrounding (EE) and (iii) conventionally farmed fields using pesticides (CR). Using benefit-cost analysis, we compared the economic value of each treatment. The non-rice crops preferred by men and women farmers as well as farmers’ willingness to implement EE were assessed using surveys. We s led arthropod abundance and richness in rice fields and bunds during two seasons. During the dry season, we compared EE and CR among three Cambodian provinces. During the wet season, we specifically assessed the differences in EE, control and CR in arthropod abundance and rice yield in one province. While withholding from using pesticides did not result in a decrease in yield in EE and control treatments, parasitoid abundance was higher in both treatments during the wet season. The benefit–cost ratio was highest for EE and control treatments. Pesticides were likely the main driver causing low arthropod abundance, without any benefit towards increased rice yield. The proper implementation of EE coupled with farmers’ knowledge of ecologically based pest management is a promising solution towards sustainable rice production.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AJB2.1812
Abstract: The phenomenon called “diminishing returns” refers to a scaling relationship between lamina mass ( M ) vs. lamina area ( A ) in many species, i.e., M ∝ A α , where α i s the scaling exponent exceeding unity. Prior studies have focused on the scaling relationships between lamina dry mass (DM) and A , or between fresh mass (FM) and A . However, the scaling between petiole mass and M and A has seldom been investigated. Here, we examine the scaling relationships among FM, DM, A , and petiole fresh mass (PFM). For each of 3268 leaves from nine Lauraceae species, FM, DM, A , and PFM were measured, and their scaling relationships were fitted using reduced major axis regression protocols. The bootstrap percentile method was used to test the significance of the difference in α ‐values between any two species. The phenomenon of diminishing returns was verified between FM vs. A and DM vs. A . The FM vs. A scaling relationship was statistically more robust than the DM vs. A scaling relationship based on bivariate regression r 2 ‐values. Diminishing returns were also observed for the PFM vs. FM and PFM vs. A scaling relationships. The PFM vs. FM scaling relationship was statistically more robust than the PFM vs. A scaling relationship. “Diminishing returns” was confirmed among the FM, DM, A , and PFM scaling relationships. The data collectively indicate that the petiole scales mechanically more strongly with lamina mass than with area, suggesting that static (self) loading takes precedence over dynamic (wind) loading.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-05-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-04-2022
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 04-10-2022
Abstract: “Diminishing returns” in leaf economics occurs when increases in lamina mass ( M ), which can either be represented by lamina dry mass (DM) or fresh mass (FM), fail to produce proportional increases in leaf surface area ( A ), such that the scaling exponent (α) for the M vs. A scaling relationship exceeds unity (i.e., α & 1.0). Prior studies have shown that FM vs. A is better than DM vs A in assessing diminishing returns in evergreen species. However, the superiority of FM vs. A over DM vs. A has been less well examined for deciduous species. Here, we applied reduced major axis protocols to test whether FM vs. A is better than DM vs. A to describe the M vs. A scaling relationship, using a total of 4271 leaves from ten deciduous and two evergreen tree species in the Fagaceae and Ulmaceae for comparison. The significance of the difference between the scaling exponents of FM vs. A and DM vs. A was tested using the bootstrap percentile method. Further, we tested the non-linearity of the FM (DM) vs. A data on a log-log scale using ordinary least squares. We found that (i) the majority of scaling exponents of FM vs. A and DM vs. A were & thereby confirming diminishing returns for all 12 species, (ii) FM vs. A was more robust than DM vs. A to identify the M vs. A scaling relationship, (iii) the non-linearity of the allometric model was significant for both DM vs. A and FM vs. A ., and (iv) the evergreen species of Fagaceae had significantly higher DM and FM per unit area than other deciduous species. In summary, FM vs. A is a more reliable measure than DM vs. A when dealing with diminishing returns, and deciduous species tend to invest less biomass in unit leaf light harvesting area than evergreen species.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-12-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.05363
Abstract: Community assembly processes on islands are often non‐random. The mechanisms behind non‐random assembly, however, are generally difficult to disentangle. Functional ersity in combination with a null model approach that accounts for differences in species richness among islands can be used to test for non‐random assembly processes, but has been applied rarely to island communities. By linking functional ersity of trees on islands with a null model approach, we bridge this gap and test for the role of stochastic versus non‐random trait‐mediated assembly processes in shaping communities by studying functional ersity–area relationships. We measured 11 plant functional traits linked to species dispersal and resource acquisition strategies of 57 tree species on 40 tropical islands. We grouped traits into four life‐history dimensions representing 1) dispersal ability, 2) growth strategy, 3) light acquisition and 4) nutrient acquisition. To test for non‐random assembly processes, we used null models that account for differences in species richness among the islands. Our results reveal contrasting responses of the four life‐history dimensions to island area. The dispersal and the growth strategy dimensions were underdispersed on smaller islands, whereas the light acquisition dimension was overdispersed. The nutrient acquisition dimension did not deviate from null expectations. With increasing island area, shifts in the strength of non‐random assembly processes increased the ersity of dispersal and acquisition strategies in island communities. Our results suggest that smaller islands may be more difficult to colonize and provide more limited niche space compared to larger islands, whose tree communities are likely determined by stochastic processes and higher niche ersity. Our null model approach highlights that analyzing the functional ersity of different life‐history dimensions provides a powerful framework to unravel community assembly processes on islands. These complex, non‐random assembly processes are masked by measures of functional ersity that do not account for differences in species richness between islands.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-08-2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 22-06-2021
DOI: 10.1093/AOB/MCAB078
Abstract: Leaf size has considerable ecological relevance, making it desirable to obtain leaf size estimations for as many species worldwide as possible. Current global databases, such as TRY, contain leaf size data for ~30 000 species, which is only ~8% of known species worldwide. Yet, taxonomic descriptions exist for the large majority of the remainder. Here we propose a simple method to exploit information on leaf length, width and shape from species descriptions to robustly estimate leaf areas, thus closing this considerable knowledge gap for this important plant functional trait. Using a global dataset of all major leaf shapes measured on 3125 leaves from 780 taxa, we quantified scaling functions that estimate leaf size as a product of leaf length, width and a leaf shape-specific correction factor. We validated our method by comparing leaf size estimates with those obtained from image recognition software and compared our approach with the widely used correction factor of 2/3. Correction factors ranged from 0.39 for highly dissected, lobed leaves to 0.79 for oblate leaves. Leaf size estimation using leaf shape-specific correction factors was more accurate and precise than estimates obtained from the correction factor of 2/3. Our method presents a tractable solution to accurately estimate leaf size when only information on leaf length, width and shape is available or when labour and time constraints prevent usage of image recognition software. We see promise in applying our method to data from species descriptions (including from fossils), databases, field work and on herbarium vouchers, especially when non-destructive in situ measurements are needed.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 11-11-2022
Abstract: Bamboo is an important component in subtropical and tropical forest communities. The plant has characteristic long lanceolate leaves with parallel venation. Prior studies have shown that the leaf shapes of this plant group can be well described by a simplified version (referred to as SGE-1) of the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation. SGE-1 with only two model parameters is less complex than the original Gielis equation with six parameters. Previous studies have seldom tested whether other simplified versions of the Gielis equation are superior to SGE-1 in fitting empirical leaf shape data. In the present study, we compared a three-parameter Gielis equation (referred to as SGE-2) with the two-parameter SGE-1 using the leaf boundary coordinate data of six bamboo species within the same genus that have representative long lanceolate leaves, with leaves for each species. We s led 2000 data points at approximately equidistant locations on the boundary of each leaf, and estimated the parameters for the two models. The root–mean–square error (RMSE) between the observed and predicted radii from the polar point to data points on the boundary of each leaf was used as a measure of the model goodness of fit, and the mean percent error between the RMSEs from fitting SGE-1 and SGE-2 was used to examine whether the introduction of an additional parameter in SGE-1 remarkably improves the model’s fitting. We found that the RMSE value of SGE-2 was always smaller than that of SGE-1. The mean percent errors among the two models ranged from 7.5% to 20% across the six species. These results indicate that SGE-2 is superior to SGE-1 and should be used in fitting leaf shapes. We argue that the results of the current study can be potentially extended to other lanceolate leaf shapes.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-03-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13361
Abstract: The island species–area relationship (ISAR) quantifies how the number of species increases as the area of an island or island‐like habitat gets larger and is one of the most general patterns in ecology. However, studies that measure the ISAR often confound variation in s ling methodology and analyses, precluding appropriate syntheses of its underlying mechanisms. Most ISAR studies use only presence–absence data at the whole‐island scale, whereas we planned to use a framework that applies in idual‐based rarefaction to synthesize whether and how the ISAR differs from the null expectation of the passive s ling hypothesis. Five hundred and five islands from 34 different archipelagos across the world, including oceanic islands, lake islands and forest islands. Local assemblages of plants, invertebrates, herpetofauna, birds and mammals. We collated local‐scale species abundance data from multiple archipelagos (median of 12 islands per study) and used a rarefaction‐based approach to synthesize the relationship between island size and (1) s le effort‐controlled rarefied species richness, or (2) an effective number of species derived from the probability of interspecific encounter (an index of community evenness). When we applied rarefaction to control for s ling effort, the numbers of species and their relative abundances across all studies differed from the passive s ling hypothesis. Our measure of evenness also increased with island size, suggesting that the disproportionate effects we observed influenced both rarer and more common species. We found few associations between the slope of this effect and island type or taxon, but we did find that island archipelagos with greater elevational heterogeneity also deviated more from the null expectation than those with less heterogeneity. Using a synthetic approach across island archipelagos, we reject the null expectation that passive s ling causes the ISAR and instead suggest that ecological mechanisms leading to disproportionate (non‐random) effects on larger relative to smaller islands are predominant.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-07-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-04-2019
Publisher: Pakistan Journal of Botany
Date: 04-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-08-2022
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.06227
Abstract: Islands are hotspots of plant endemism and are particularly vulnerable to the establishment (naturalization) of alien plant species. Naturalized species richness on islands depends on several biogeographical and socioeconomic factors, but especially on remoteness. One potential explanation for this is that the phylogenetically imbalanced composition of native floras on remote islands leaves unoccupied niche space for alien species to colonize. Here, we tested whether the species richness of naturalized seed plants on 249 islands worldwide is related to the phylogenetic composition of their native floras. To this end, we calculated standardized effect size (ses) accounting for species richness for three phylogenetic assemblage metrics (Faith's phylogenetic ersity (PD), PDses mean pairwise distance (MPD), MPDses and mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD), MNTDses) based on a phylogeny of 42 135 native island plant species and related them to naturalized species richness. As covariates in generalized linear mixed models, we included native species richness and biogeographical, climatic and socioeconomic island characteristics known to affect naturalized species richness. Our analysis showed an increase in naturalized species richness with increasing phylogenetic clustering of the native assemblages (i.e. native species more closely related than expected by chance), most prominently with MPDses. This effect, however, was smaller than the influence of native species richness and biogeographical factors, e.g. remoteness. Further, the effect of native phylogenetic structure (MPDses) on naturalized species richness was stronger for smaller islands, but this pattern was not consistent across all phylogenetic assemblage metrics. This finding suggests that the phylogenetic composition of native island floras may affect naturalized species richness, particularly on small islands where species are more likely to co‐occur locally. Overall, we conclude that the composition of native island assemblages affects their susceptibility to plant naturalizations in addition to other socioeconomic and biogeographical factors, and should be considered when assessing invasion risks on islands.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-09-2017
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 03-03-2021
Abstract: If collecting research data is perceived as poorly rewarded compared to data synthesis and analysis, this can slow overall research progress via two effects. People who have already collected data may be slow to make it openly accessible. Also, researchers may reallocate effort from collecting fresh data to synthesizing and analysing data already accessible. Here, we advocate for a second career currency in the form of data contributions statements embedded within applications for jobs, promotions and research grants. This workable step forward would provide for peer opinion to operate across thousands of selection and promotion committees and granting panels. In this way, fair valuation of data contributions relative to publications could emerge.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-11-2023
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.14526
Abstract: The Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography (ETIB) posits that species richness on islands represents a dynamic equilibrium between immigration and extinction. ETIB makes predictions about numbers of species and biogeographical rates, but not about species identities or functional traits. However, functional traits provide additional information in understanding the assembly of island biotas. Here, we build on ETIB's principle of community equilibria and investigate how these processes affect plant functional traits over time. Fifteen islands from 164 m 2 to 19 km 2 in Western Australia. Angiosperms. We assembled an island‐trait dataset linking seed mass, plant height and leaf area of 156 species to their occurrences on 15 islands s led four times within four decades. We estimated community trait means and functional ersity for each island and s ling period and tested whether both remained at equilibrium over time. Using linear models, we tested whether temporal species turnover is linked to specific traits. We used generalised linear mixed‐effect models to test for the effect of environmental characteristics on species and trait turnover. Species richness on the islands was at equilibrium as predicted by ETIB despite high species temporal turnover. Functional ersity and community trait means also were stable over time. Species most susceptible to turnover were on average smaller and had lower seed mass than persisting species. Environmental island characteristics had no strong effect in explaining species and trait turnover. We provide evidence that ETIB can be extended to functional traits, which we suggest to term Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography for Traits . Trait equilibria on islands suggest that locally extinct species are replaced by new ones sharing similar traits. Being small with light seeds increases both immigration probability and extinction risk.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.13032
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 11-02-2022
Abstract: Land-use change has progressed rapidly throughout the Indonesian archipelago and is now intruding into western New Guinea (Tanah Papua), one of the world’s last wilderness areas with extensive tracts of pristine and highly erse tropical rainforests. Tanah Papua has reached a crossroads between accelerating environmental degradation and sustainable development policies entailing landscape-scale conservation targets, pledged in the Manokwari Declaration. We assessed the representation of ecoregions and elevational zones within Tanah Papua’s protected area network to identify its shortcomings at broad spatial scales. Lowland ecoregions are less protected than mountainous regions, with half of the western and southern lowlands designated for land-use concessions. Under the direct threat from land-use change, the political motivation in Tanah Papua toward conservation- and culture-centered land management provides a window of opportunity for scientifically guided, proactive conservation planning that integrates sustainable development for the benefit of Indigenous communities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2023
DOI: 10.1111/ECOG.06435
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 21-03-2023
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 25-02-2021
DOI: 10.3390/SYM13030369
Abstract: Leaf area is among the most important leaf functional traits, and it determines leaf temperature and alters light harvesting. The calculation of in idual leaf area is the basis of calculating the leaf area index (i.e., the total leaf area per unit ground area) that is directly associated with the ability of plants to intercept light for photosynthesis. It is valuable to provide a fast and reliable approach to measuring leaf area. Here, we examined the validity and calculation accuracy of the Montgomery equation (ME), which describes the area of a leaf as a product of leaf length, width and a specific coefficient referred to as the Montgomery parameter, MP. Using ME, we calculated leaf areas of different age groups of bamboo culms. For most broad-leaved plants, leaf area is proportional to the product of leaf length and width, and MP falls within a range of 1/2 to π/4, depending on leaf shape. However, it is unknown whether there is an intra-specific variation in MP resulting from age structure and whether such a variation can significantly reduce the predictability of ME in calculating leaf area. This is relevant as a population of perennial plants usually composes of different age groups. We used Moso bamboos as model as this species is of ecological and economic importance in southern China, and pure stands can cover six to seven plant age groups. We used five age groups of moso bamboo and s led 260–380 leaves for each group to test whether ME holds true for each group and all groups combined, whether there are significant differences in MP among different age groups, and whether the differences in MP can lead to large prediction errors for leaf area. We observed that for each age group and all groups combined, there were significant proportional relationships between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width. There were small but significant differences in MP among the five age groups (MP values ranged from 0.6738 to 0.7116 for in idual plant ages MP = 0.6936 for all age groups combined), which can be accounted for by the minor intergroup variation of leaf shape (reflected by the leaf width/length ratio). For all age classes, MP estimated for the pooled data resulted in % mean absolute percentage error, indicating that the effect of variation in MP among different age groups was small. We conclude that ME can serve as a useful tool for accurate calculations of leaf area in moso bamboo independent of culm age, which is valuable for estimation of leaf area index as well as evaluating the productivity and carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forests.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-09-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S11676-021-01385-X
Abstract: The shape of leaf laminae exhibits considerable ersity and complexity that reflects adaptations to environmental factors such as ambient light and precipitation as well as phyletic legacy. Many leaves appear to be elliptical which may represent a ‘default’ developmental condition. However, whether their geometry truly conforms to the ellipse equation (EE), i.e., ( x/a ) 2 + ( y/b ) 2 = 1, remains conjectural. One alternative is described by the superellipse equation (SE), a generalized version of EE, i.e., | x/a | n +| y/b | n = 1. To test the efficacy of EE versus SE to describe leaf geometry, the leaf shapes of two Michelia species (i.e., M. cavaleriei var. platypetala , and M. maudiae ), were investigated using 60 leaves from each species. Analysis shows that the majority of leaves (118 out of 120) had adjusted root-mean-square errors of 0.05 for the nonlinear fitting of SE to leaf geometry, i.e., the mean absolute deviation from the polar point to leaf marginal points was smaller than 5% of the radius of a hypothesized circle with its area equaling leaf area. The estimates of n for the two species were ˂ 2, indicating that all s led leaves conformed to SE and not to EE. This study confirms the existence of SE in leaves, linking this to its potential functional advantages, particularly the possible influence of leaf shape on hydraulic conductance.
Publisher: California Digital Library (CDL)
Date: 03-12-2020
DOI: 10.21425/F5FBG47361
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-10-2017
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.3485
Location: Poland
Location: Poland
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Julian Schrader.